The Rockets do it again on the glass to take down the Thunder

Oklahoma City lost to a good Houston Rocket team 95-90 on the road tonight to drop to 13-13. At one point the Thunder was down 17, but they fought and clawed back to get it to one at one point. Honestly, it was a pretty good game. Especially coming off a a tough game the night before.

But I felt serious frustration in the third quarter. Like the kind of frustration where you’re moving things out of arms reach because one more missed jumper, one more defensive breakdown and something is getting thrown. Missed shots, lazy defense, bad rebounding. I don’t care if you’re tired and flat, there’s no excuse to forgo effort. I was planning on writing a scathing, upset recap just blasting the lack of effort. No excuse for it. You may get beat, but don’t give up. Play with some pride.

And they did exactly that. The last three minutes of the third were going to be the most important of the game. If the Thunder could get it to single-digits, they might have a chance. They did exactly that, cutting the Rocket lead to nine heading into the money period. They came out in the fourth with good energy. They fought. They clawed. They played the way they should have the first 34 minutes. It all culminated to Oklahoma City having a legitimate shot to win this game. Really, a game they didn’t have any business being in.

Regardless, I was still frustrated by the final buzzer. Here are 10 things about this game that made me want to pile drive an infant:

1. Down four with a minute left after a monster Kevin Durant 3, Oklahoma City needed a stop to give itself a chance to win. One stop and the Thunder could make things interesting. And they got it. The ball rotated to Aaron Brooks and he missed a jumper with 45 seconds left. But the Thunder didn’t get the rebound. Time melted off the clock. With 20 seconds left, the Trevor Ariza missed a contested jumper. BUT THE THUNDER DID NOT GET THE REBOUND. See, here’s the thing about getting a stop. You play defense, you get them to miss. BUT YOU HAVE TO REBOUND THE BALL AS WELL. Frustrated.

2. After outrebounding the Rockets 17-7 in the first quarter (zero offensive for Houston) and 26-19 at the half (five offensive for the Rockets), the final margin was 47-45 in favor of OKC, but the Rockets finished with 17 offensive rebounds. FRUSTRATED.

3. Oh, 6’6 Chuck Hayes (who is a nice player mind you), had 15 boards, eight of which were offensive. Frustrated. You get the idea.

4. Kevin Durant did not attempt a single free throw this evening. Think about that for a second. Zero. And it’s not like he didn’t get calls. He was just never fouled in the act of shooting.

See, here's the thing about getting a stop. You play defense, you get them to miss. BUT YOU HAVE TO REBOUND THE BALL AS WELL. Frustrated.

5. Oh, and KD 6-18 from the floor and scored just 13 points. Tack that one on there. When KD plays bad, I feel physical pain. It hurts me.

6. Houston left the door open by missing eight free throws in the second half and 10 for the game. But OKC never capitalized. And in most circumstances, probably didn’t rebound the miss anyway.

7. Trevor Ariza made nine straight shots at one point in the first half, including five 3s. He had 31 for the game, but just eight in the second half. I guess that’s not really a frustration thing, but without Ariza’s sharpshooting in the first half, OKC probably leads going into the locker room.

8. Just like last time, Houston took 12 more shots than OKC. Oh yes, the Thunder outshot Houston by three percent, but when you shoot more, you typically make more.

9.A good example of how sometimes Russ doesn’t always “feel” the game. With about 5:45 left he caught a swing from Harden and was open for 3. It was a catch, in rhythm, with an open look. Instead, he put it on the floor, let Nick Collison come and screen for him, dribbled at the top of the key for a second and then hoisted a 20-footer. You HAVE to take the first look. If you’re not going to really improve your look, take the one in rhythm. It’s the main reason Westbrook struggles shooting. He doesn’t take the rhythm shot, he takes the off balance, forced shot. I have no doubt he’ll start to understand this at some point, but it hurt him on more than one occasion tonight.

10. Just one more time for emphasis, REBOUNDING.

Again, the resiliency OKC showed to come back from 17 down was admirable. The team could have packed it in and just waited for the final buzzer. But the second unit played really well, as well as Jeff Green who was fantastic. Russell Westbrook made some crucial plays in the third. The Thunder had a chance to win this one but didn’t make the plays. It’s not like I’m going to go put on a black jumpsuit and run onto I-35 at night, but with a few plays here and there, OKC wins a game it shouldn’t have. Which would have been really nice.

Notes:

Serge Ibaka ladies and gentleman. The line for the fan club starts right behind me. He had 10 points on 5-5 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in just 23 minutes. He’s going to be getting 30 a night soon and potentially sending Nenad Krstic into extreme role player mode. You watch.

I love Westbrook going to the rim. He’s not a great finisher, but he’s so much more effective when he enters the lane with a purpose. That’s a no-brainer, I know, but with a little more discretion, he could put up nice percentages. He just gets so caught up in the moment and desperately wants to make a difference. I don’t fault him for that because you want that kind of desire in a player. But you’ve got to harness it. And I truly believe he will eventually. But you can’t try and shoulder the load by yourself every time, especially when you’re supposed to be the distributor.

The Thunder’s second unit is starting to become a strength. Livingston is playing pretty well. Nick Collison is solid as a rock. James Harden is obviously awesome. And Ibaka is bringing a great presence with his energy. Once they exited in the second quarter, the Rockets went on a 9-0 run. OKC’s bench outscored Houston’s 31-17.

How about Ibaka’s STUFF on Chase Budinger? It was an absolute spike. Serge threw it literally straight down. Insert any variety of “Chase Budinger actually played volleyball” jokes here.

Speaking of awesome plays, James Harden’s cram on David Anderson was something that made you rewind, watch, rewind, watch again, freeze for a second, rewind and watch again. I can’t wait until it’s on YouTube. I’ll be favorite-ing it immediately. But Harden’s not athletic. He’s slow and boring. Not athleticism here. Nope. Not any. Keep thinking that, NBA. And then James will come out of nowhere AND STUFF IT FROM THE HEAVENS. Can you tell I loved that flush?

Ibaka is one of those “Chew on the mouthpiece, but never actually put it in your mouth” guys. As strong as my unbridled affection is for Chewblocka, I must admit this annoys me.

Jeff Green is showing a legit post game.He’s becoming a real player. If he continues to use that post game and develop it, he could be a real nice player. Like, a REAL nice player. I counted four times he backed his man down and scored on the block. He’s got nice touch, nice hands and good feet. If he continues to progress there, he could score 20 a night. Seriously.

As seriously bummed I was about Kevin Durant’s poor game, you’ve got to realize great scorers go through these stretches. Even with his 27 against Detroit, he was 7-17 from the floor and didn’t really look like he had his jumper. It’ll be back soon enough. There’s no question about that. He’ll drop a 40 spot any night now. The fact the team is even in these games that he’s not playing well is something to be encouraged about.

Aaron Brooks, who is one of the nicest point scorers in the league, went 2-15 from the floor for just five points. Thabo and Russ both guarded him, with Russ drawing most the duty. That’s not something to ignore. And you know, Russ played a decent game. He took some bad shots for sure. But 15 points, seven assists, six rebound and just two turns is a quality performance any way you slice it.

This was a game about stops and by stops I mean COMPLETE stops, where you get the rebound after the miss. OKC just could never string together three or four in a row. If that happens, the Thunder wins this one. Of course, this would have been a good one to steal. It would have made everything feel a lot better with two VERY tough ones ahead. The reality we have to face is, is that this team will probably come back to OKC at 13-15. That’s OK though. These aren’t the games the Thunder will make their headway. The schedule softens soon and some wins will be there. Finish the month strong after this stretch.

So I actually drove down to Houston to watch the game with a Rockets fan. Very frustrating game to watch with all of the offensive rebounds given up to the Rockets. And the ones at the end of the fourth quarter were really unforgivable because I don't think there was any switching or disarray causing people to be out of position, it was just bad blocking out.

But man, Harden and Ibaka owned last night. They both imprinted themselves on the minds of Houston basketball fans with what was really dominant play all night. Ibaka's block that Kev mentioned was freaking breathtaking what a force.

I liked how Durant kept fighting to score in the end, but man it's true his overall effort level declined a little bit when he wasn't making shots. Good effort, incredibly frustrating game, as Royce mentioned.

Jax Raging Bile Duct :@KevKev, this is the first time I’ve ever disagreed with your defensive analysis. In the second half of this game, Brooks assigned Westbrook to Ariza exclusively, and Brooks admitted as much after the game. Apparently it was Mo Cheek’s idea. Mo’s second half adjustment was to let Russell guard Trevor and avoid the pick and roll.The scoring Trevor had in the first half was against a switching defense, and he scored 23. Then when Russell took him man to man, he scored 6 in the second half. There was still switching, but it was only in help defense. Trevor went to the post, but was only partially successful there.There was a clear-cut change of assignment at halftime, and the adjustment was really effective against Ariza, thanks in most part to Russell.

We can agree to disagree . . .

Obviously, I wasn't privy to the conversations of Brooks and Cheeks, so that changes things somewhat . . .

they had to do something, and I guess putting Russ on him didn't hurt - but Ariza went to the post often in the second half, at Russ did not play him one on one, the Thunder sent plenty of help . . .

and that doesnt change the fact that the person best suited to guard Brooks was guarding someone else -

btw thanks for the compliment, if this is the first time you've disagreed with my breakdowns, then they aren't terrible :)

Kev, this is the first time I've ever disagreed with your defensive analysis. In the second half of this game, Brooks assigned Westbrook to Ariza exclusively, and Brooks admitted as much after the game. Apparently it was Mo Cheek's idea. Mo's second half adjustment was to let Russell guard Trevor and avoid the pick and roll.

The scoring Trevor had in the first half was against a switching defense, and he scored 23. Then when Russell took him man to man, he scored 6 in the second half. There was still switching, but it was only in help defense. Trevor went to the post, but was only partially successful there.

There was a clear-cut change of assignment at halftime, and the adjustment was really effective against Ariza, thanks in most part to Russell.

Settle down everyone. Let's just discuss a couple things that we all agree on for a little while:1. Chris Bosh's acquisition could lead to 8 or 9 championships in the next 2 or 3 years2. Harden and Ibaka turn all posters on in some wayGo Thunder!

Hey Royce, I get it, just makes me think you're not a father yet. Some like to watch violence, knowing it's not real. I'm not one of them, at least not any more, despite my fascination with Blue Velvet, Pulp Fiction, Clockwork Orange, and others. Heck, I LOVED Mars attacks.... Just rubbed me the wrong way.

I'm sorry I should have realized if only Sefolosha had played more minutes we would have won. He was -14 /- last night. Only Kristic was worse. If he didn't play last night we would have lost by 15. WTF does your 10 number mean. Do you pull it out of some hat.

KD's getting to the line a lot in general this year, it's a big step in the right direction for him offensively. If his 3pt% rebounds at all toward what he was shooting last year it'd be hard to ask for anything else from him on offense..

@Royce Look, I got a little carried away. I've got nothing against Don, I just thought he lacked perspective.@Don: Don, I apologize for making this personal. I'm not upset by your hyperbole--I actually like the fact that one guy says I'm brilliant, and one says it's the worst post ever. I know the truth is somewhere in-between.Royce, Don thinks I lack perspective. I think he lacks perspective. Perhaps we agree to disagree. By the way, I was more offended at your comment about pile-driving than about anything I've seen go on in this discussion.I think Don and I agree with this much: KD needs a go-to move. IMO, he has shown much more ability/comfort with the face-up, quick-release jumper, hitting it or drawing contact and going to the line, than I have seen with 10-15 foot fade-aways or with anything back-to-the-basket, post-up. Maybe that becomes his strong suit--but he's a ways from that now. Besides, KG and MJ had/have STRONG inside games, driving, dunking, etc, to help them set up the mid-range stuff. KD can do it inside, but he lacks the pure strength/athleticism/quickness of KG/MJ. He's well-suited to shooting a lot of 3-pointers, and from what I see he's more likely to develop an outside/inside game along the lines of Rashard Lewis than KG. 'Shard can post up. But he's efficient because he takes and makes a lot of 3's.I much more frustrated with Brooks at this point than with Don, because I have yet to see what looks like an offensive strategy put into place. But I'm just impatient, the whole team is doing well in the grand scheme. I'm amazed at what has happened on the defensive end.Go Thunder!

One of the worst posts in internet history......correction: THE worst post, with no close 2nd.

Pure long-winded nonsesne.

This is the kinda analysis you get from people tha have never actually played basketball.

It's really this simple:

KD has a great ability to shoot over anyone. The back to the basket 10 foot fadeaway is the single most powerful go-to move he can build his game around. Like KG and MJ proved. Instead he spends majority of the time floating around the 3 point line, and thats not gonna cut it. It's that simple.

But you're too caught up in geeky obscure stats, having never played ball yourself, and your dislike of The DON.

I can assure you, I have played with and against more current NBA players than you could ever imagine. My knowledge of the game from a player's perspective trumps anything you think you know about the game

I'm not too fired up about some of the sarcastic, unfriendly, sniping comments being left. Remember folks, this is a basketball discussion. It's absolutely fine to disagree and discuss, but there shouldn't be any insults, personal attacks or just general smart ass douchebaggery. I'm not into that.

The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspring :And LOL @ me saying KD should make the fadeaway his patented go to bread and butter move alas MJ, and your retort being that no he shouldn’t and instead utilize a wide open 3 pointer….as if a wide open 3 point shot is what you can build your offensive approach on whereas a you can’t with a fadeaway mid range J when you’ve got a length advantage over any defenderI wasn’t aware of the fact that wide open 3’s were so abundant KD could make that the main focus of his offense. I’m pretty sure however that he can post up his defender on any given possession from about 10 feet away and shoot a back to the basket fade away J like KG and MJ always didSMH @ you advocating KD essentially becoming sam perkins

Don, your ignorance is infuriating. Or it would be if it weren’t laughable. You sound like a foot soldier who has never studied strategy and fell in love with Rambo for his courage and ability to walk through a hail of bullets without getting hit–the soldier who’s about to die on the field of battle because he doesn’t realize Rambo is the only one who can get away with that.Just a heads-up for you: the only way to win in basketball is to be more efficient than your opponent. You each get the same number of possessions. The sum total of your actions on offense and defense has to add up to at least ~.001 points more per possession than the other guy. There are lots of ways to be efficient, and lots of ways to be inefficient. But you had better understand that the midrange jumper, not to mention the midrange fadeaway, is the least efficient play in basketball, and the three-point shot is the first or second most efficient option. You want KD to be Rambo, fine. I just want him to be KD. You read what he said about Nowitzki? ‘He’s got all those trick shots. I try those in practice, I just can’t hit those yet.’You ever notice guys with the most amazing midrange games played before the 3-point line? Look, KD hits 42% on his jumpers from inside the arc. That’s actually really good. But his effective field goal percentage on 3s, even though he’s hitting only 30%, is 45. Which of those percentages is more likely to go up? KD’s eFG on 3s last year was 63%. You think he’s going to hit 63% on midrange fadeaways?There’s a strong correlation between 3pt%, eFG%, and offensive efficiency. Just look at the leaders in all three, and those at the bottom. Phoenix is at the top, Jersey at the bottom, and OKC is 24, 23, and 21. But I don’t need to say all this–just read the link MartzMimic posted above to Joe’s column.If you want to get a bead on efficiency, study the 2004-05 seasons of the Sonics and the Spurs. The Spurs did it at both ends that year, while the Sonics were historic in being top two or three in the league offensively while being the second or third slowest-paced team. They shot .363 and .365 respectively on 3s, and they each took about 50% more 3s on the season than the opposition.The bottom line for me is about strategy. On any given play, you want the team to get an open shot, preferably for someone who is good at making that shot. But if you just take what the defense gives you, you’ll end up taking a ton of mid-range jumpers. And losing. That’s why offensive strategy has to be designed around the inside game and 3-pointers. That’s also why the seeming lack of strategy on offense for OKC is so frustrating. Their strategy seems to be exactly the losing strategy–take what the defense gives you. They get a pass for now because they are young and focusing on defense. But if Brooks doesn’t do something about the offense to where it looks like he has a strategy in place, the team offense is going nowhere. What is most frustrating to me is that it doesn’t even look like there is a plan–the team has no idea what to do on offense. There is a great deal of potential, and I would like to see some of it tapped.

Standing up and clapping. Brilliant!

If you take what the defense gives you, what you are essentially doing is letting the other team dictate what kind of shots you will take, and naturally those won't be your best choices. Powerful post 4Razr.

justin :If KD is open for three he should take it..As was mentioned before, KD was up against tough man defenders, fade away jump shots are not high efficiency shots for most players when Shane Battier has a hand two inches from your face.

KD swished both of the fadeaway jumpers he took tonight, and his percentage on mid range fade aways has been amazing this year (althought there’s no way to pull up that stat, as I am sure no one tracks it)The difference in fg percentage between 3’s and those mid range fadeaways is astronomical thugh, I know that for a fact. So why then would you advocate he opts with the lower percentage option sir?

You asked why he should shoot open threes when you know ‘for a fact’ that he shoots mid range fade aways at a higher percentage.I answered your question, that open threes are more productive than contested fade away jumpers in Kevin Durant’s case.That’s all.

LOL @ how desperately you're dodging my points.

KD has to shoot at least 20 shots a game for us. He may have on average ONE open, un-contested 3 available to him per game. What exactly do you suggest he do for the remaining 19 or so field goal attempts?

justin :@The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspringJust stop. All I was stating was: “”If KD is open for three he should take it..”.It’s rare to have a wide open three pointer. Most teams will close out and get a hand in your face. Further, there are plays (pick and roll, for example) that are designed to get open two point shots, which are of higher value to Kevin Durant.I’m not sure where you’re getting the idea that I think Kevin Durant should shoot more threes. My idea was that Kevin Durant shoot should a three pointer if he is open and that an open three is a more valuable shot attempt in the long run than a fade away jump shot. The statistics I have provided make that clear in Kevin Durant’s case (though obviously it would be different for every player depending on their shooting abilities).It’s OK to be wrong, The DON, it’s not the end of the world..

You sound like a female scorned, cause you can't come to terms with how laughable your "logic" (or lack there of is). So instead of looking in the mirror and allowing the fact that you make no sense sink in, you're lashing out at me. You did however give yourself terrific advice there at the end when you told yourself it's ok to be wrong and that it's not the end of the world.

I said KD should make his go-to move the MJ 10 foot fadeaway, since he makes them at such a high rate and since he has a length advantage over any defender and can shoot that shot over anyone.

Your rebuttal = he should shoot open 3's (which has nothing to do with my point)

It's like one guy saying "the sky is blue" and someone's rebuttal being "Tom hanks is a good actor".....yes, tom hanks is a good actor, but what does that have to do with the fact that the sky is blue?

justin :If KD is open for three he should take it..As was mentioned before, KD was up against tough man defenders, fade away jump shots are not high efficiency shots for most players when Shane Battier has a hand two inches from your face.

KD swished both of the fadeaway jumpers he took tonight, and his percentage on mid range fade aways has been amazing this year (althought there’s no way to pull up that stat, as I am sure no one tracks it)The difference in fg percentage between 3’s and those mid range fadeaways is astronomical thugh, I know that for a fact. So why then would you advocate he opts with the lower percentage option sir?

You asked why he should shoot open threes when you know 'for a fact' that he shoots mid range fade aways at a higher percentage.

I answered your question, that open threes are more productive than contested fade away jumpers in Kevin Durant's case.

nick :@The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspringWow. He said that if KD has a wide open three he should shoot it. Unless I read this thread incorrectly, nobody has suggested that KD should not develop a post game. I argued that earlier in the Jeff Green thread. The problem was that you were arguing against KD shooting a wide open three and instead trying to take a contested fadeaway. That is ridiculous. Obviously KD cannot center his game on wide open threes, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t take them when they present themselves. That’s all that was said. And stop bashing on statistics. They’re a tool, and they should be used as such. Nobody here is using stats to form all basketball logic, not even justin or Crow. Simmer down.

You're attributing quotes to me that don't exist, which makes your argument even cheaper than it already is.

You're telling me that I said he should not shoot open 3's and instead when he has an open 3 he should charge into the lane and shoot a contested fade away?

All I said was that he should build his game around using his length advantage by posting his defenders down low around 10 feet and shoot that patented MJ fade away over them, instead of making his entire approach on offense floating around the 3 point line. What the hell do you have against what I'm saying? What exactly are you arguing? you prefer he keep doing what he's been doing and just floating around the 3 point line hoping his defender wont close out on him in time after he gets the ball so that he'll have an open 3? Thats what you want your franchise player's game to be? I never said "he shouldn't shoot open 3's". Him shooting open threes occasionally when it's there has nothing to do with my suggestion that he use the MJ approach more and shoot short mid range fade aways over defenders. so why then is your illogical retort to that suggestion of mine that he should shoot open 3's when he has them? What the hell do open 3's have to do with what I'm saying. Heck, I think he should shoot wide open lay ups when they're there, but what exactly does that have to do with what I'm saying? You can't have your go-to shot be an open 3 or an open layup when you're the star player shooting over 20 shots a game because those shots aren't that abundantly available to account for the number of shots you are expected to take

Ariza was 9-13 in the first half against Sefolosha most of it. He blew a left handed layup again hardly looked for his shot and missed at midrange again. Not even close to an A effort. And you wanted to see more of it. Fouling Ariza last night had a much better outcome than you propose( hitting jumpers in Sefolosha's grill)

I show Thabo making one mistake on Ariza (and that was the foul on a closeout after an offensive rebound - Westbrook made four on Ariza when he guarded him - most of Ariza's points came when we were scrambling in rotation . . .

The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspring :And LOL @ me saying KD should make the fadeaway his patented go to bread and butter move alas MJ, and your retort being that no he shouldn’t and instead utilize a wide open 3 pointer….as if a wide open 3 point shot is what you can build your offensive approach on whereas a you can’t with a fadeaway mid range J when you’ve got a length advantage over any defenderI wasn’t aware of the fact that wide open 3’s were so abundant KD could make that the main focus of his offense. I’m pretty sure however that he can post up his defender on any given possession from about 10 feet away and shoot a back to the basket fade away J like KG and MJ always didSMH @ you advocating KD essentially becoming sam perkins

Don, your ignorance is infuriating. Or it would be if it weren't laughable. You sound like a foot soldier who has never studied strategy and fell in love with Rambo for his courage and ability to walk through a hail of bullets without getting hit--the soldier who's about to die on the field of battle because he doesn't realize Rambo is the only one who can get away with that.Just a heads-up for you: the only way to win in basketball is to be more efficient than your opponent. You each get the same number of possessions. The sum total of your actions on offense and defense has to add up to at least ~.001 points more per possession than the other guy. There are lots of ways to be efficient, and lots of ways to be inefficient. But you had better understand that the midrange jumper, not to mention the midrange fadeaway, is the least efficient play in basketball, and the three-point shot is the first or second most efficient option. You want KD to be Rambo, fine. I just want him to be KD. You read what he said about Nowitzki? 'He's got all those trick shots. I try those in practice, I just can't hit those yet.'You ever notice guys with the most amazing midrange games played before the 3-point line? Look, KD hits 42% on his jumpers from inside the arc. That's actually really good. But his effective field goal percentage on 3s, even though he's hitting only 30%, is 45. Which of those percentages is more likely to go up? KD's eFG on 3s last year was 63%. You think he's going to hit 63% on midrange fadeaways?There's a strong correlation between 3pt%, eFG%, and offensive efficiency. Just look at the leaders in all three, and those at the bottom. Phoenix is at the top, Jersey at the bottom, and OKC is 24, 23, and 21. But I don't need to say all this--just read the link MartzMimic posted above to Joe's column.If you want to get a bead on efficiency, study the 2004-05 seasons of the Sonics and the Spurs. The Spurs did it at both ends that year, while the Sonics were historic in being top two or three in the league offensively while being the second or third slowest-paced team. They shot .363 and .365 respectively on 3s, and they each took about 50% more 3s on the season than the opposition.The bottom line for me is about strategy. On any given play, you want the team to get an open shot, preferably for someone who is good at making that shot. But if you just take what the defense gives you, you'll end up taking a ton of mid-range jumpers. And losing. That's why offensive strategy has to be designed around the inside game and 3-pointers. That's also why the seeming lack of strategy on offense for OKC is so frustrating. Their strategy seems to be exactly the losing strategy--take what the defense gives you. They get a pass for now because they are young and focusing on defense. But if Brooks doesn't do something about the offense to where it looks like he has a strategy in place, the team offense is going nowhere. What is most frustrating to me is that it doesn't even look like there is a plan--the team has no idea what to do on offense. There is a great deal of potential, and I would like to see some of it tapped.

Kev, the reason Sef didn't play more is because Ariza was scoring at will on him and He was displaying his total offensive package(no midrange game missed layups occassional defensive rebound). Your defensive analysis is usually spot on but anyone on the team could have done what Sef did in the first half. Ariza was out of his mind an we needed scoring.

Just stop. All I was stating was: ""If KD is open for three he should take it..".

It's rare to have a wide open three pointer. Most teams will close out and get a hand in your face. Further, there are plays (pick and roll, for example) that are designed to get open two point shots, which are of higher value to Kevin Durant.

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that I think Kevin Durant should shoot more threes. My idea was that Kevin Durant shoot should a three pointer if he is open and that an open three is a more valuable shot attempt in the long run than a fade away jump shot. The statistics I have provided make that clear in Kevin Durant's case (though obviously it would be different for every player depending on their shooting abilities).

Our team score was +12 which is well below average (for new readers to my breakdown posts, the Thunder’s average for the season is 30, and the individual average for a player is about +3. I will focus on one opposing player as the reason for our issues: Aaron Brooks.

If you check the box score, it shows that Brooks had an awful game. He was 2 for 15 from the field, and he only had four assists. So he was no factor right? Wrong. Yes, he had a bad shooting night, but his presence was a major factor on the contest. Ok, I will explain. The Thunder does not have a player currently on the roster (and healthy) that can check Brooks. Westbrook has the ability, but not the mindset. Thabo is obviously an excellent defensive player, but he doesn’t have the quickness of Brooks. Weaver would be better suited to guard him if he was healthy, but even he would have issues. Kevin Ollie would have played a lot of minutes last night, but of course he wasn’t available. Back to the actual game. Westbrook started on Brooks and was totally ineffective (see his paragraph below for details). Brooks was then forced to put Thabo, Livingston, or Harden on Brooks. This left Westbrook on 6-7 Trevor Ariza, who finished with 31 points. Also, as I discussed in Friday night’s breakdown, our scrambling after the initial breakdowns led to poor rebounding position; hence the 17 offensive rebounds. The poor assist total is also misleading because the Rockers are a super passing team. After Brooks would kick the ball, the Thunder rotated well, but eventually when you have a team scrambling, you will find a crack somewhere. Sometimes it took five passes to do that, but that’s what the Rockets do. Ok, enough with the lecture. Before I put you to sleep, let’s breakdown a play or two.

Defensive MVP – Thabo Sefolosha (+10)

This was an outstanding total since he only played twenty-three minutes. I thought he should have played more. He had some issues with Brooks, but Thabo could’ve covered him better than our other guards. I had him down for two steals, a block, and he drew a moving screen call from the Rockets. He only had two mistakes on the evening.

My favorite play from Thabo occurred early in the third. Thabo was checking Brooks on the weakside. Shane Battier (Durant) had the ball in the deep right corner. Battier put a move on Durant and went baseline to the rim. Nenad Krstic came over to contest Battier – this left his man, Chuck Hayes, wide open on the left side. Thabo read the situation and dove down to intercept the pass from Battier to Hayes. His timing was excellent.

Serge Ibaka (+9)

Let the Serge Ibaka love fest continue. The guy was a defensive factor the second he stepped on the court. He had a contest and two blocks in the first two minutes of floor time. Overall, he made Rockets backup center David Anderson miss five times (either a contest or a block). Let’s breakdown one of the blocks.

Trevor Ariza (Livingston) was in the right corner, and he drove to the baseline to attempt a shot at the rim. Livingston was beaten and was basically out of the play. Thabo came off his man, Chase Budinger to try and stop Trevor. Ariza pump faked and got Thabo in the air. Ariza then dished the ball to Chase Budinger. Meanwhile, Serge was on the other side guarding David Anderson. After Chase got the ball, he left his man and viciously attacked the ball after Budinger shot. He was so quick that he probably could have caught the ball instead of just blocking it. The block was so violent that the ball slammed on the ground and went out of bounds. Visually, it was a great block, but if you listen to Bill Russell, you know that Serge needs to learn to keep the ball inbounds on blocks. Still, I have rewound the tape and watched it several times.

Shaun Livingston (+2)

James Harden (+2)

Kevin Durant (+2)

I think a trend is developing – when KD has an off night shooting, it affects his performance on the defensive end. He put up a stinker (4-18) in Dallas, and his defense suffered. Tonight, it was more of the same. This is the difference between Thabo and Durant. Thabo has a constant defensive mindset – scoring is secondary. I can’t read KD’s mind, but reading his body language, you can tell that shooting droughts take something out of him on the defensive end.

It’s early in the third. KD has just missed on a drive. Shane Battier did a good job of contesting KD as the shot clanged off the backboard. Scola grabs the rebound, and Battier takes off. Meanwhile, KD takes a swipe at the ball instead of getting back with Battier. Ariza is bringing the ball up the left side. It doesn’t really look like a fast break, Ariza is really in mid-gear. Then, Battier shoots into the picture on the right side, and he’s wide open. KD is jogging several steps behind. Ariza gives the ball up to Brooks, and Brooks hits Battier perfectly with an overhead pass – easy layup. KD claps his hands to say my bad – but the “Russell Westbrook swipe” on the other end doomed him.

Nick Collison (+2)

Very little defensive scoring action for Nick, as he was basically caught up in the rotation action I discussed in the opening paragraphs.

Nenad Krstic (-4)

Chuck Hayes was giving Krstic fits inside, as often Hayes either scored a bucket over him or he drew the foul. In the Chuck Hayes section of Pro Basketball Prospectus 2009-2010, it says that Chuck’s “got no offensive game to speak of”. I guess he practiced over the summer, because he made Krstic look bad.

Russell Westbrook (-7)

Westbrook was a disaster tonight. First, he was getting killed with penetration from Brooks. As I mentioned earlier, it was so bad that Brooks had to switch Thabo on Brooks – this left Westbrook with Ariza. This was also a disaster. You can’t have a 6-3 guy guarding someone who is 6-8. But Westbrook forced Scott’s hand with his bad defense on Brooks. After the switch, where do you think that Houston’s coach Adelman positioned Ariza? Right on the low block.

It is midway through the first quarter, and Thabo has picked up Ariza in transition. Westbrook is down low with Ariza. This is where RW’s basketball IQ comes into question. Instead of just playing behind Ariza, and trying to bother the shot – Russell tries to overplay on top of Ariza and get a steal. He fails badly. He came on the right side of Ariza for the steal – Brooks just delivered the ball on the left side. Ariza had an EASY DUNK. This was not an isolated incident. He was schooled on two other overplay gambles inside.

Jeff Green (-10)

Jeff Green is seriously inconsistent on the defensive end. Some nights he does well, some he doesn’t show up. Last night – it was the latter. He had several lapses; I will point out two of them.

We are in the first quarter. Shane Battier (Durant) and Tracy McGrady (Green) are the principals. After a switch, McGrady is being guarded by Durant in the low block. Green now checks Battier. What’s Battier’s offensive strength? After a pair of early games vs. Houston, even a novice Thunder fan could probably tell you it’s the three ball. Durant has McGrady contained, but Green comes down to dig when it’s not necessary. Dumb move. McGrady ships the ball out to Battier for the easy three.

We are now in the second quarter. Thabo tries an ill-fated alley oop to Serge. Guard Kyle Lowry grabs the ball and races upcourt. I often talk about how a fast pace can exploit subtle mistakes by the defense. Green is forced to cover the middle on the break. However, after the initial attempt is thwarted, he doesn’t make an attempt to find an open man – he just watches Lowry from the paint. Lowry scans the court and finds Ariza for three. Ariza is not Green’s man, but all other Thunder players found guys to guard – Jeff didn’t.

I haven't check the full history but I think it is safe to say that no teams has gone without taking at least 30% of their shots from mid-range for the season - yet.

Whether you can will be determined. There is probably a lower limit but what it is I don't know and what it is and have the team do well on offense and win I don't know. There are teams setting what appear to be new records and the trend is that some teams continue to reduce this mid-range frequency year to year.

OKC is at about 47% mid-range shots. Looks like about 8th most. You probably got to take some but you could take less if you tried and had the talent to do so. Most teams do.

@The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspringWow. He said that if KD has a wide open three he should shoot it. Unless I read this thread incorrectly, nobody has suggested that KD should not develop a post game. I argued that earlier in the Jeff Green thread. The problem was that you were arguing against KD shooting a wide open three and instead trying to take a contested fadeaway. That is ridiculous. Obviously KD cannot center his game on wide open threes, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't take them when they present themselves. That's all that was said. And stop bashing on statistics. They're a tool, and they should be used as such. Nobody here is using stats to form all basketball logic, not even justin or Crow. Simmer down.

And LOL @ me saying KD should make the fadeaway his patented go to bread and butter move alas MJ, and your retort being that no he shouldn't and instead utilize a wide open 3 pointer....as if a wide open 3 point shot is what you can build your offensive approach on whereas a you can't with a fadeaway mid range J when you've got a length advantage over any defender

I wasn't aware of the fact that wide open 3's were so abundant KD could make that the main focus of his offense. I'm pretty sure however that he can post up his defender on any given possession from about 10 feet away and shoot a back to the basket fade away J like KG and MJ always did

justin :@The DON wants to have Harden’s & Ibaka’s offspringUhh…? It’s fairly simple, The DON, Kevin Durant gets more points per shot on three point attempts for his career.. so logically, it’d be preferable for him to take an open three than a contested two. More points per shot, you see.Hakeem and Jordan, who have nothing to do with this conversation, were not as good from three point range, and were better from 2pt range (obviously). They scored more points per shot from 2pt range so obviously they preferred to operate there.

You sound outrageous.....and thats being generous

Then why ever shoot any contested 2's at all (drives to the hole are contested 2's)? Why not just shoot 3's all the time since KD scores more points per shot on 3 pointers?

This is exactly why using stats to form all basketball logic is ridiculous